MICHELIN ALL SEASON TIRES Complaints

THIS IS TO REPORT THE SECOND HIGH SPEED BLOW OUT ON A SET OF MICHELIN TIRES THAT WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE VALVE STEM. THE TIRE WAS RETURNED TO SAM'S CLUB, UNDER THEIR ROAD HAZARD WARRANTY, WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE IN LESS THAT SIX MONTHS ON THE SAME SET OF TIRES. I WAS TOLD THAT THE VALVE STEMS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED WITH EACH NEW TIRE. THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE REMAINING TWO STEMS NOR DID THEY ALERT ANYONE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A PROBLEM. IN BOTH INCIDENTS, I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH BUT SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. *LA

I HAVE EXPERIENCED 3 TIRE BLOWOUTS WITHIN 1 YEAR WITH MY MICHELIN TIRES. I OWN A 2002 HONDA ACCORD WITH ONLY 19,000 MILES & CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I HAVE HAD TO INCUR THE COST OF REPLACING 3 OUT OF 4 BRAND NEW TIRES WITHIN A 1-YEAR PERIOD. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS NOV. 2002, THE 2ND ON OCT. 2, 2003 & THE 3RD ON OCT. 9, 2003. IT APPEARS THAT THESE TIRES ARE NOT MANUFACTURED UP TO NORMAL SAFETY STANDARDS SINCE THEY HAVE CAUSED 3 BLOWOUTS FROM USUAL ROAD HAZARD CONDITIONS. MICHELIN CLAIMS THE BLOWOUTS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY SINCE THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO A ROAD HAZARD. WHY ARE THESE HIGH-PROFILE & VERY EXPENSIVE TIRES NOT MANUFACTURED TO PERFORM UNDER NORMAL ROAD HAZARD CONDITIONS? THESE BLOWOUTS COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY TO MY AND/OR OTHERS IF I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND/OR ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. LUCKILY, ALL 3 INCIDENTS OCCURED ON LOCAL ROADS & I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY AND CALL EMERGENCY ROAD SERVICE FOR HELP. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT MICHELIN SHOULD BE WILLING TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE COST OF REPLACING THE TIRES, HAVING THEM BALANCED AND FOR THE DISTRESS AND ANXIETY I HAD TO INDURE DURING THESE INCIDENTS. *LA

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WITHOUT WARNING. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, WHICH CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

MY '02 HONDA ODYSSEY'S TIRE HAD A SIDEWALL BUBBLE THAT BURSTED ON A HOT DAY.*AK

I WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE WENT FLAT ON MY 2003 LINCOLNN TOWN CAR. THIS CAR IS NEW - PURCHASED ONLY 44 DAYS AGO. THE TIRE HAD A PINHOLE PUNCTURE- NO NAIL WAS FOUND AND SIDEWALL WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. HIGHWAY WAS CLEAR AT TIME OF INCIDENT- CAR SWEVED BUT DID NOT HAVE ACCIDENT.*AK

THREE OF FOUR MICHELIN TIRES EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION, RESULTING IN ERRATIC AND DANGEROUS BEHAVIOUR OF THE VEHICLE, A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY. TIRES WERE PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2001 FROM SEARS, WHO ONLY WOULD PRO-RATE THE TIRES. THE DOT #S FOR TWO OF THE TIRES ARE 2XJ9 DMX 2001 AND 2XJ9 DMX 1901. I DID NOT RETAIN THE DOT NUMBER FROM THE FIRST TIRE THAT FAILED, AS I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. HOWEVER, THREE OF FOUR TIRES FAILED, INDICATING THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM/DEFECT. LUCKILY, THE SEPARATIONS WERE DETECTED BEFORE ANY OBVIOUS DAMAGE WAS CAUSED AND BEFORE ANY BLOWOUTS OCCURRED. THEY DID, HOWEVER, RESULT IN DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR OF THE CAR, ESPECIALLY ON WET OR SNOWY ROADS.THE CAMRY WAS USED AS A FAMILY VEHICLE AND DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY UNUSUAL USE. TIRES WERE INFLATED PROPERLY AND CHECKED PERIODICALLY. THE FIRST TIRE FAILED IN APPROXIMATELY APRIL 2003, THE SECOND IN MAY 2003, AND THE THIRD IN JULY 2003. FOURTH TIRE SHOWED NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF FAILURE, BUT WAS REPLACED ANYWAY.*AK

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 OLDS BRAVADA THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THE TIRE WAS A MICHELIN 255/60R17. THERE WAS NO OBJECTS IN THE TIRE OR ON THE ROAD.

THE ALUMINUM WHEEL CAUSED THE SEAL TO BREAK BETWEEN THE RIM AND TIRE WHICH RESULTED IN ALL FOUR TIRES LOSING AIR PRESSURE.*JB

INTERSTATE HIGHWAY CLEAR,DRY ROAD CONDITIONS IN LIGHT TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. VEHICLE BECOMES UNSTABLE, BEGINS TO SWERVE. ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL & CORRECT HAVE NO EFFECT. VEHICLE'S FRONT LEFT IMPACTS CENTER "JERSEY BARRIER" SENDING THE CAR INTO A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE SPIN AGAINST THE "JERSEY BARRIER". NY WIFE SUFFERED SPINAL FRACTURES, BROKEN NOSE, BRUISED RIBS.......1 WEEK HOSPITALIZATION AND 3 WEEKS REHABILITATVE THERAPY. INJURY TO HER SPINE IS PERMANENT. STATE POLICE INDICATED AT LEAST ONE FRONT TIRE BLEW-OUT CAUSING THE ACCIDENT. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW IN OCTOBER 2001.